Topics
- Artifacts and Ethnographic objects
- Provenance
- Repatriation
Outcomes
Visitors to the expo were offered insight in the use of blockchain technology to assist in new forms of ownership and stewardship.
IdeasCity, which began as a collaborative program of the New Museum, has taken many forms over the years as a platform that builds on the premise that art and culture are essential to the future vitality of cities. Winston-Salem joins a global list of cities that have hosted IdeasCity including Athens, Detroit, Istanbul, New Orleans, New York City, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Toronto.
IdeasCity WS engaged participants in new ideas and opportunities to explore how creative solutions can foster well-being in the city’s creative economic landscape.
At IdeasCityWS, the Lam Museum of Anthropology presented current work to develop blockchain-based solutions to cultural heritage problems. High profile debates about who should own the artifacts on display in great museums have shown how difficult it can be to find solutions when heritage is at stake. In collaboration with the WFU School of Law and our partner Art & Antiquities Blockchain Consortium, the Museum is testing out blockchains and smart contracts to divide ownership claims and reach new agreements with stakeholders. This exhibit shows that while the objects on display at the Museum have taken many roads to get to Winston-Salem, new innovations developed locally will influence where they go from here.